The Two Things God Cannot Do: A Biblical Study from Hebrews
The book of Hebrews contains one of the most comforting and powerful assurances in all of Scripture. While the question often refers to Hebrews 8, the specific statement about “two immutable things” is actually found in Hebrews 6:17–18. In these verses, the apostle explains that there are two things that God cannot do, and these truths form the foundation of the believer’s confidence and hope.
The passage states:
“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” — Hebrews 6:17–18 (NIV)
The “two unchangeable things” are:
- God’s promise.
- God’s oath.
And the great truth connected to them is this: it is impossible for God to lie.
When we carefully examine this passage in context, another truth also emerges: God cannot deny His own holy character or fail to fulfill His covenant purposes. The entire argument of Hebrews is built upon the absolute reliability of God. Unlike fallen humanity, whose promises often fail, God is eternally faithful.
This study will explore these truths in biblical detail, showing why the impossibility of God lying and failing His covenant is the anchor of Christian hope.
The Context of Hebrews 6
To understand the meaning of the “two unchangeable things,” we must first understand the context of Hebrews. The book was written to believers facing hardship, discouragement, persecution, and temptation to abandon their faith in Christ. The author repeatedly calls them to perseverance.
In Hebrews 6, after warning against falling away, the writer immediately offers profound encouragement. God does not want His children to live in fear or uncertainty. He wants believers to have assurance.
Hebrews 6:9 says:
“Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.”
Then the author points to Abraham as an example of patient faith.
“After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.” — Hebrews 6:15
God had promised Abraham descendants, blessing, and ultimately the coming Messiah through his line. Humanly speaking, the promise appeared impossible. Abraham and Sarah were old. Yet God’s word did not fail.
To strengthen Abraham’s confidence, God not only gave a promise but also confirmed it with an oath.
The First Unchangeable Thing: God’s Promise
The first unchangeable thing is God’s promise.
Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as a promise-making God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is a record of divine promises fulfilled.
God’s Promises Are Rooted in His Character
Human promises often fail because humans are weak, forgetful, sinful, or deceitful. But God’s promises arise from His perfect nature.
Numbers 23:19 declares:
“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
This verse beautifully parallels Hebrews 6. God’s promises are trustworthy because God Himself is trustworthy.
Titus 1:2 also says:
“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.”
Notice how absolute the language is. Scripture does not merely say God chooses not to lie. It says God cannot lie. Lying is contrary to His very essence.
God is truth.
Jesus declared:
“I am the way and the truth and the life.” — John 14:6
And the Holy Spirit is called:
“the Spirit of truth.” — John 16:13
The entire Godhead is characterized by truthfulness.
God’s Promise to Abraham
In Hebrews 6, the immediate reference is God’s promise to Abraham.
Genesis 22 records the event after Abraham demonstrated faith by being willing to offer Isaac.
God declared:
“I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you.” — Genesis 22:16–17
This promise ultimately pointed beyond Abraham to Christ.
Galatians 3:16 explains:
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed… meaning one person, who is Christ.”
Thus, the promise in Hebrews is not merely about national Israel or earthly descendants. It culminates in salvation through Jesus Christ.
Believers today are heirs of that promise.
The Certainty of God’s Promise
The Christian life depends entirely upon the certainty of God’s promises.
If God could lie, then:
- Salvation would be uncertain.
- Forgiveness would be uncertain.
- Eternal life would be uncertain.
- The Second Coming would be uncertain.
- Resurrection would be uncertain.
But Hebrews assures believers that God’s promise cannot fail.
Jesus said:
“Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” — John 6:37
And again:
“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.” — John 5:24
The believer rests not upon human strength, but upon divine reliability.
The Second Unchangeable Thing: God’s Oath
The second unchangeable thing is God’s oath.
Hebrews 6:16 explains:
“People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.”
In ancient culture, an oath was a solemn guarantee.
But when God swore an oath, there was no greater authority by whom He could swear.
Therefore:
“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear… he confirmed it with an oath.” — Hebrews 6:17
God swore by Himself.
This is astonishing grace. God did not need to provide extra assurance, yet He condescended to human weakness in order to strengthen faith.
Why Did God Add an Oath?
The oath was not for God’s benefit. It was for ours.
The passage says He did this so that believers “may be greatly encouraged.”
God understands human fear.
He knows believers struggle with doubt.
He knows suffering can shake confidence.
So He gives both His promise and His oath as a double assurance.
The believer therefore stands upon:
- What God said.
- God’s solemn confirmation of what He said.
Both are immutable.
God’s Covenant Faithfulness
Throughout the Bible, God repeatedly binds Himself by covenant.
With Noah, God promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood.
With Abraham, He promised blessing and redemption.
With Israel, He established covenant relationship.
With David, He promised an everlasting throne.
In Christ, He established the new covenant.
Hebrews 8 especially emphasizes this new covenant.
“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.” — Hebrews 8:10
This covenant is secured by Christ Himself.
Because God cannot lie or violate His holy covenant purposes, believers can trust every promise connected to salvation.
It Is Impossible for God to Lie
This is the central statement of Hebrews 6:18.
“It is impossible for God to lie.”
This does not mean God lacks power. Rather, it means He cannot act contrary to His perfect nature.
For example:
- God cannot sin.
- God cannot cease being holy.
- God cannot become evil.
- God cannot deny truth.
Second Timothy 2:13 says:
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
God’s actions always flow consistently from His character.
Satan Is the Father of Lies
The contrast between God and Satan is profound.
Jesus said of the devil:
“When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” — John 8:44
Lies originate with Satan.
Truth originates with God.
Human history began to collapse when humanity believed the serpent’s lie over God’s word.
Yet redemption comes through trusting God’s truth again.
Faith is fundamentally confidence in the truthfulness of God.
The Anchor of the Soul
Hebrews continues:
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” — Hebrews 6:19
The certainty of God’s promise and oath becomes the believer’s anchor.
An anchor stabilizes a ship during storms.
Likewise, God’s unchangeable truth stabilizes believers amid suffering, temptation, persecution, uncertainty, and death.
Hope in Christ
Biblical hope is not wishful thinking.
It is confident expectation based upon God’s faithfulness.
Christian hope rests upon:
- Christ’s atoning death.
- Christ’s resurrection.
- Christ’s heavenly ministry.
- Christ’s promised return.
Because God cannot lie, every promise regarding Christ will be fulfilled.
Jesus promised:
“I will come back and take you to be with me.” — John 14:3
The resurrection is guaranteed because God’s word cannot fail.
Paul writes:
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.” — 2 Corinthians 1:20
Hebrews 8 and the Reliability of God
Although the statement about the “two unchangeable things” appears in Hebrews 6, Hebrews 8 expands upon the same theme of divine faithfulness.
Hebrews 8 focuses on Jesus as the mediator of a better covenant.
“But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one.” — Hebrews 8:6
The new covenant is better because:
- It is founded on better promises.
- Christ ministers directly for believers.
- God writes His law upon the heart.
- Forgiveness is complete.
Hebrews 8:12 says:
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Because God cannot lie, this promise of forgiveness is absolutely dependable.
The believer does not need to wonder whether God truly forgives.
At the cross, God demonstrated the full extent of His faithfulness.
Romans 5:8 says:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
What These Truths Mean for Believers Today
1. We Can Trust God Completely
In a world filled with broken promises, God remains utterly dependable.
Governments fail.
Institutions fail.
Leaders fail.
People fail.
But God never fails.
Isaiah 40:8 declares:
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Believers can therefore build their lives upon Scripture with confidence.
2. Salvation Is Secure in Christ
The certainty of salvation rests upon God’s character, not human perfection.
Believers still struggle with weakness and failure.
Yet Christ intercedes as our High Priest.
Hebrews repeatedly emphasizes Christ’s ongoing ministry for believers.
Because God’s promise is certain, repentant sinners may come boldly to Him.
Hebrews 4:16 says:
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.”
3. God’s Promises Sustain Us Through Suffering
The original audience of Hebrews endured hardship.
Many believers today also face:
- grief,
- illness,
- persecution,
- loneliness,
- uncertainty,
- financial difficulty,
- spiritual struggle.
God’s promises become an anchor in such storms.
Romans 8:28 assures believers:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.”
Because God cannot lie, suffering is never meaningless.
4. The Second Coming Is Certain
One of the great themes of Hebrews is Christ’s return.
Hebrews 9:28 says:
“Christ… will appear a second time… to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
The certainty of Christ’s return rests entirely upon the truthfulness of God.
Scoffers may doubt.
The world may mock.
But God’s word cannot fail.
The same God who fulfilled promises concerning Christ’s first coming will fulfill promises concerning His second coming.
The Character of God Revealed
Ultimately, Hebrews 6 reveals the beauty of God’s character.
God is:
- truthful,
- faithful,
- holy,
- trustworthy,
- merciful,
- covenant-keeping.
The impossibility of God lying is not merely a theological concept.
It is the foundation of the gospel.
If God could lie, there would be no certainty in redemption.
But because God is eternally truthful, believers may rest securely in Christ.
First John 5:13 says:
“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Notice the word know.
Christian assurance is rooted in the unchanging character of God.
Ellen G. White Commentary on God’s Unchangeable Truthfulness
The writings of Ellen G. White strongly reinforce the biblical truth that God cannot lie and that His covenant promises are utterly dependable. Again and again, she directs believers to rest their faith not upon feelings or circumstances, but upon the unchanging Word and character of God.
God’s Word Can Never Fail
In Steps to Christ, Ellen White writes:
“The word of God, like the character of its divine Author, presents mysteries that can never be fully comprehended by finite beings.”
Yet she repeatedly emphasizes that although human understanding is limited, God’s promises are absolutely certain.
She writes:
“God never leads His children otherwise than they would choose to be led, if they could see the end from the beginning.”
This statement harmonizes beautifully with Hebrews 6. God’s purposes are unchanging because His wisdom is perfect. Human beings often cannot understand why trials occur, but God’s promises remain secure even in darkness.
In Education, she declares:
“We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us.”
The believer gains confidence by remembering God’s faithfulness throughout history.
God Cannot Lie Because God Is Truth
Ellen White consistently identifies truthfulness as an essential attribute of God’s nature.
In The Desire of Ages, she contrasts Christ with Satan in language very similar to John 8:44:
“Satan represents God’s law of love as a law of selfishness.”
From the beginning, Satan has worked through deception and falsehood. But Christ came to reveal the Father truthfully.
She writes concerning Jesus:
“In Christ is life, original, unborrowed, underived.”
Because Christ perfectly reveals the Father, believers can trust every promise spoken through Him.
Commenting on the reliability of Scripture, she states:
“The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands… The truths revealed are all ‘given by inspiration of God’; yet they are expressed in the words of men.”
This reinforces the truth found in Hebrews that God’s revelation is trustworthy.
The Covenant and the Ministry of Christ
Hebrews 8 emphasizes Christ as mediator of a better covenant. Ellen White expands deeply on this theme.
In Patriarchs and Prophets, she explains:
“The same covenant was renewed to Abraham in the promise, ‘In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.’ This promise pointed to Christ.”
Thus, she connects the Abrahamic covenant directly to salvation through Jesus, exactly as the New Testament does.
She also explains the difference between the old and new covenants:
“The terms of the ‘old covenant’ were, Obey and live… The ‘new covenant’ was established upon ‘better promises’—the promise of forgiveness of sins and of the grace of God to renew the heart.”
This is profoundly important.
The new covenant does not lower God’s standard. Rather, it provides divine power for obedience through Christ.
Hebrews 8:10 declares:
“I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.”
Ellen White repeatedly emphasizes that true Christianity involves heart transformation.
She writes:
“The law is written in the heart by the Holy Spirit.”
Thus, the certainty of God’s covenant includes not only forgiveness but sanctification.
The Anchor of the Soul
Hebrews 6:19 describes hope as “an anchor for the soul.” Ellen White uses similar imagery.
In The Acts of the Apostles, she writes:
“We have an anchor that holds both sure and steadfast.”
She explains that faith must rest entirely upon Christ’s merits rather than human worthiness.
“We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us.”
This harmonizes perfectly with Hebrews. Believers are not saved because of fluctuating emotions or personal perfection, but because Christ’s priestly ministry is secure.
Assurance and the Character of God
Ellen White strongly emphasizes assurance grounded in God’s faithfulness.
She warns against looking inward excessively:
“Many whom God has qualified to do excellent work accomplish very little, because they attempt little.”
And again:
“When we seem to doubt God’s love and distrust His promises, we dishonor Him.”
This reflects the seriousness of unbelief.
Faith honors God because it treats His word as true.
Unbelief questions His character.
Hebrews calls believers to confidence precisely because God cannot lie.
Christ’s Heavenly Ministry
The book of Hebrews especially emphasizes Christ’s work as High Priest. Ellen White develops this theme extensively in The Great Controversy.
She writes:
“The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross.”
Because Christ ministers continually for believers, God’s covenant promises remain active and effective.
She further explains:
“Jesus does not excuse their sins, but shows their penitence and faith.”
The believer’s confidence rests upon Christ’s righteousness.
Thus, the impossibility of God lying gives assurance that Christ’s intercession is effective and trustworthy.
The Second Coming and the Fulfillment of Promise
Hebrews points forward to Christ’s return, and Ellen White continually encourages believers to hold firmly to that hope.
In The Great Controversy, she writes:
“The promise of Christ’s second coming was ever to be kept fresh in the minds of His disciples.”
Because God cannot lie, the Second Coming is not symbolic wishful thinking. It is a guaranteed reality.
She beautifully describes the faithfulness of God in fulfilling prophecy:
“In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man… but in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside.”
History is ultimately governed by the trustworthy purposes of God.
God’s Faithfulness Through Human Weakness
Ellen White often speaks tenderly to discouraged believers.
She acknowledges human weakness while directing souls to divine faithfulness.
In Steps to Christ, she writes:
“If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous.”
This reflects the assurance found in Hebrews.
Believers do not stand before God because they are flawless, but because Christ is faithful.
She also writes:
“The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eyes.”
Yet this growing awareness of weakness is not meant to produce despair.
Rather, it drives believers toward deeper dependence upon Christ.
The Final Vindication of God’s Character
A major theme in Ellen White’s writings is the vindication of God’s character before the universe.
Satan accused God of being arbitrary, unjust, and untrustworthy.
But through Christ, God demonstrated perfect truthfulness, justice, and love.
In The Desire of Ages, she famously writes:
“The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God.”
At Calvary, God proved that every promise and every warning in Scripture is true.
The cross demonstrates both:
- God’s justice against sin.
- God’s immeasurable love for sinners.
Thus, Hebrews 6 and 8 ultimately point believers to Christ Himself.
Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise, the guarantee of God’s covenant, the anchor of the soul, and the revelation that God can never lie.
Conclusion
The statement about the “two things God cannot do” is found in Hebrews 6:17–18, though it connects deeply with the covenant themes of Hebrews 8.
The two unchangeable things are:
- God’s promise.
- God’s oath.
And the great truth revealed through them is that:
“It is impossible for God to lie.”
God’s promises are certain because His character is perfect.
His oath confirms His intention to save and preserve His people.
Through Jesus Christ, believers possess an anchor for the soul that is “firm and secure.”
The God who promised forgiveness will forgive.
The God who promised grace will sustain.
The God who promised resurrection will raise the dead.
The God who promised eternal life will fulfill His word.
And the God who promised that Christ will return will surely bring history to its glorious conclusion.
Therefore, believers may live with courage, confidence, peace, and hope.
As Hebrews 10:23 beautifully declares:
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
